The Flowers of Evil
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| This might've been mentioned before, maybe not, but I've read a bunch ass forum pages about this, so I don't know what's what anymore. This is how I see it: the flower is escapism (stole it from here), and while it is about moving on, I see another aspect to it. It's about finding himself. Or better yet finding what he really wants to do with his life, what's he passionate about ("I didn't care about the New Your Giants like they did. I cared about Sputnik. I was nuts about it, it was passionate. Nobody told me yet adults were supposed to be ashamed of those feelings" - a little shout-out to Halt & Catch Fire). First it "was" Baudelaire - I suspect he liked what his father told him about it, more than for what it actually was, as he didn't understand it at that age. Then it was the idea of a perfect, non-sexual woman, even though we see him peeking at Saeki's crotch. An indication that his beliefs don't match his behaviour. That's probably why it was so liberating to be friends with Nakamura, to finally be rid of the contradiction, act closer to his true self. But that wasn't him either. Not entirely. All these things were escapist. I'm not sure to say if they're deliberate or he simply didn't know until he went through all these experiences. And so he, after the dream sequence, realizes this. I don't think he realizes Nakamura is his dream girl or anything. He just realizes she was the biggest influence on his life. And since he like reading and writing, what better to write about than that. I think he'll end up with Aya. He sees her note and wakes up to their life together. It's not an end all argument, it's an open ending, but that's what I like to believe. Aya is a better match for him than Nakamura. Speaking of Nakamura, she's a realistic character with a mental illness and a grudge against fakers and the like. That's fine. It's just that I, like some of you, wanted more for her. It was a bit misleading until the end. But maybe that's another point - maybe it was a reality check - she's not some cool sensei, she's sick. And there are people that never get better and which are crushed by the world. Try not to be those people. To sum it up, I think it was a story about Takao all along, we just didn't see it. And it was about finding what he wants to do what kind of person he wants to be, we just didn't see it. And as that, it's wrapped up. The future is a bonus, Nakamura's last issue is a bonus. The dream where he sees Nakamura and starts writing would be enough to end what the central issue of the manga. I might be looking at this from my perspective a bit. I kinda wish I was a writer. To be honest, I don't write almost at all. But I think I learned something from this story. I often wondered "What should I write about? Where do authors get their inspiration and ideas?" and Oshimi answered my question, especially since he said it was an autobiographical tale. "You should write", he said metaphorically, "about what you care the most". And that's what Takao did. That story arc ends the moment the tip of his pencil touches the surface of the paper. I also like to think that the point isn't to conform to the world. He didn't settle with/for Saeki. He looked for something better (suited for him). And he continued his perversions - in writing. It was just about finding the balance between "erase yourself for the sake of the world" and "erase the world for your sake". On a side note, I remember having an idea about half way through the manga. So I'm reading it again. Might post more if I remember what it was. Unless I already said it here. I was reading so much about AnH trying to remember, more than to better understand the work, but that was a motivation too. Double kill. Might've found what I was looking for without even realizing it. |
| I really enjoyed this manga, but the ending pissed me off a little. |
| Opened ended because life is open ended. We may die, but no one knows what the future holds. I can see why people say this is "masterpiece" but I wouldn't go that far. I will say that in this story you can tell that the author really poured some of his soul into it. A coming of age story with a twist of the "more" deviant side of human nature. I bet many on here have read their share of Dōjinshi/hentai and even though everyone claims to be a vanilla lover we all have our "deviant" tastes. I think the author was trying to tap into that aspect of our nature/culture. The romance in this one was actually realistic (also a good example of a healthy relationship). People who tend to do well together are people who have hobbies/passions in common. It's a must read, but I wouldn't recommend it to those who are still immature in the aspect of life. |
| retributionisblind.wordpress.com |
| Aku no Hana has three central themes that it wishes to convey. Society , Identity , Acceptance and Overcoming your flaws. The "flowers of evil" and "the other side" both have different meanings depending on each character. First thing is first. Nakamura definitely is not mentally stable. She most likely suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder or something similar. For Nakamura "The other side" means escaping society and the grasp it has on you. For Kasuga "The other side" means finding self identity and not being the same as everyone around you and is also one of the main reasons he chooses to read Les Fleurs du mal, not because he understands it because he even told Saiki that he doesn't. He does it because he doesn't feel unique in any way or shape , and Nakamura also tells him this. For Saiki "The other side" is a combination of both Nakamura and Kasuga's. She doesn't have an identity which is why she is seen as an "angel" without any flaws by the protagonist. He projects his perfect vision that he has onto her , and the realization that she isn't perfect comes to a huge shock to him. She however also wants to escape the bonds her mother and father have over her , and also the image that she has put up which her parents have projected onto her of being the perfect student. For Tokiwa "The other side" is about being true to yourself , and admitting who you are. Nakamura feels left out because no-one is willing to be a unique version of themselves and always try to copy what everyone else is doing or expecting of them. (This is also why she tells Saiki that "You've got less substance to you than a F@#$ing fly") They all go with the flow without question and essentially grow into the same flowers that surround them. After all flowers of the same type will grow together. The flowers can be seen as representing people in this regard. This is also apparent in chapter 18 when you can see him running up to Nakamura with the flowers of evil rising up into the sky. The flowers around Nakamura vanish when she walks away , however those around Kasuga don't. This emphasizes how he cannot escape society and is being left behind in a similar way to how he is leaving Saiki behind who doesn't understand him , but envies him because he goes against society. (Reading Les Fleurs du mal, Befriending Nakamura, Vandalizing the classroom, Stealing her gym clothes). Nakamura later tries to also "shed" the flowers (Society) that is holding Kasuga back (Symbolically peeling off his skin) , however he is unable to do so and Nakamura realizes this and how dependent he is on her , which is why she pushes him away when they want to commit suicide. She realizes that he is just like a flower that sprouted next to her , he doesn't have any unique identity , he is merely trying to appeal to her and she hates this fact. (Throughout the series she has accepted him for both his good and bad qualities and wanted him to be open with himself , but in doing so she has shaped him into her ideal which she doesn't want.) This also becomes more apparent at the end of the Manga when she asks him if he is going out with Tokiwa. When he says that he is she acknowledges that he is walking the path that everyone walks. When asked the question if she does the same she lifts her head towards the sky and this portraying her eyes in the same way as the eyes of the flowers that get shown on Les Fleur du Mal. This is symbolic because it tells him that she is alone (Like he was) and that she will never fit in because she is different. This saddens Tokiwa because she was in a similar situation until she met Kasuga and she also tells Nakamura that she could go live with Kasuga because they truly understand each other at this stage. Nakamura realizes that she has been left behind by Kasuga and thus starts walking away. Kasuga wants to merely help Nakamura and has always wanted to help her. Since the very first time they became friends. However Nakamura just doesn't reach out to take his hand. He also tells her that he is happy that she hasn't disappeared because this means that she can still be helped and that she can still find her "other side" (Place of belonging) just like he and Tokiwa did. The reason she pushes him away is because she realizes that he is no longer the person he was. She realizes that he has not only caught up with her , but that he has overtook her , and that she is now trying to catch up to him. After the fight they all reach a mutual understanding , something that cannot be expressed with words. This is that Nakamura does want to be helped , but not by him she no longer wants to hold him behind, she wants him to move on. She is still looking for someone to fill her gap (And probably wants to do some self searching) like he and Tokiwa filled each other's void. She realizes that the love she has held for him was artificial just like his love was for Saiki. She realizes that she had merely been shaping him into her ideal and that she herself must change as well to be someone else's ideal. After all relationships don't work one way. The reason I feel that many people hate the second part for not having enough "craziness" is because they don't understand what Kasuga goes through during the second part. While the first part of the story establishes what "the flowers of evil" and "the other side" is to each individual , the second part shows how Kasuga get's over his fears (Anxiety and Depression) and gains enough self confidence to ask out Tokiwa in front of her boyfriend. He grows as an individual and is no longer a lone evil flower. He finds a partner that understands him. This is emphasized at the end with the field of normal flowers and the one lone evil flower that breaks away with flower petals that pass over everyone that has made peace with their own evils. At the end of the dream Kasuga realizes however that these evils shape humanity into what it is. It encompasses the beauty that is humanity. Both the good and the bad play it's fair role in shaping us into what we become. Whether the bad flowers be actual bad people or bad actions or both, that isn't what matters. What matters is being true to yourself and finding identity. Finding something that truly shapes you into something unique and something that you can be proud of. (This was just my opinion on what Aku no Hana means. I don't believe that there is really a definitive answer as it is up to the readers interpretation , that is probably also why the actual "Flowers of evil" nor "The other side" ever get explained. Because it isn't as clear as it first appears to be and because the author wants you to speculate and think for yourself instead of spoon feeding you). For me the manga was a 10/10. The symbolism it takes and tries to convey is truly unique , and I haven't seen anything similar in any shape or form and the character actions themselves all have deeper meaning. I will however say that I didn't enjoy Aku no Hana. It was something that I will regard as a masterpiece , but it is not something which I like just because of how realistic this is and how much I identify with the characters of the show (Not in the psychotic sense , but in how pitiful and plain my existence itself is). |
PantsuPillowJan 17, 2016 1:56 AM
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| Well this final chapter was pretty much there to spell it out in black and white that Nakamura is mentally ill. I really was wondering how the series would escalate after the attempted suicide and to my surprise it went a different route and we begun Kasuga's redemption, but that tense feeling was always there. It really was interesting to see these characters grow from their youth, and it managed to catch the essence of doing stupid shit as a kid, albeit taken to a rather extreme point. It does feel like it was rushed at parts, too bad the anime doesn't go longer, because I think it really nailed the slow dull atmosphere right, putting you into the state of mind of the characters, improving on the same scenes in the manga. |
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| Idk what to say really. I wanted a fucked up sad ending, and I didn't get that. Idk whether to go with 7/10 or 6/10... I guess, just for the summer festival chapter alone, I have to give it that extra mark. So, 7/10. |
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| Unpopular opinion, but the ending (ch58) was amazing for me. I mean, I didn't like the rest of series much, but the final chapter really changed how I viewed Nakamura as a character, I also have a soft spot for coming-of-age stories and this chapter reminded me how it all started. But chapter 57 would've made a good ending too. |
Trojan_InvasionJul 20, 2016 6:26 PM
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| It was nice to see Nakamura's point of view of how all of this started. Somehow, I feel slightly disappointed. Just feels like the previous chapter was the last, not this one. |
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| The time skip ruined this manga. Nakamura and her antics were what made this so interesting and fun to read. You then do a time skip and remove everything that made this manga what it is and you get a pretty boring story. This last chapter was good, seeing things from Nakamura's perspective and all. But I think it would've been better if they actually just died when they attempted to and have this be the last chapter after that one. Making you feel sorta bad for her knowing how mentally ill she really was. Oh well, it was a good binge at least. 4/10 |
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| meh, ephemeral. I'm just compelled as I read it, but after, forgotten. This book is superficial and laden with edgy characters. Unsatisfied. |
| Great manga, Ill be thinking about it for a long time probably It really made me think in some moments of how human interaction works. Really love the second part of it, even more than the first one that was a bit over the top at times, but at the end that's what makes it what it its. It might have not been a perfect manga but the final picture that gives me is truly impressive, I havent really experience something similar. So, without much detail that is why I give it a 10/10 Also, I thought the ending was the right one, no more, no less, the series is perfect in its own way |
| The ending kind of disappointed me because it left me with unanswered questions about Nakamura. I wanted to know why does she feel that way. Probably depression and a lot of other things combined, but is there an specific reason? Any trauma she went through? There is no need for explanation though. It's just how I feel. The problem is... I wanted Takao to stay with Sawa. They loved each other... in a way. He never forgot her. He wanted to make her happy. Aya Tokiwa was a great person but I think that Sawa had a lot more to do with him. And she ended up lonely. Like she has always been. I also think she didn't really change her ways that much either, maybe she pretended to be happier... and was trying to be normal, fit into society. Also that new hairstyle and the colour... reminds me of Nanako (puke). (I got confused during the "dream" sequence at first and thought it was another timeskip, but it wasn't.) I cried an awful lot (more than I ever did with a film or whatever else) with Aku no Hana, because I could relate to so much. I, myself, am a mix of Nakamura and Kasuga. I am almost Nakamura, except for the part that I don't blackmail/manipulate people, but I am very lonely, and I am a fish out of water basically. I was always the strange kid, and things were worse at school. I act like Kasuga towards the person I like, and it's a bit scary the way that they can control me, really, but I can't help myself. I don't have the disposition to read all of the posts in this thread, but reading a few, I don't think that Sawa has a poor memory, I think she might have lied. She did that sometimes. |
kenjanopropellerOct 25, 2016 7:34 PM
| World's dumbest hikikomori. Proud supporter of Koichi Makigami. |
| Okay, so as a chapter, this was really good. But it's a misplaced chapter. This should've been in the story earlier and ending it off like this is kinda weird. The second last chapter was a good "ending" chapter. but overall, it was a great series. The first 60% of the series was really messed up, but really intriguing, the last 40% was more slower paced and calmer and it reminded me of Onanie Master Kurosawa's last third a little. 8/10 |
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| Damn what an amazing last chapter, seeing how Nakamura was standing in life at the time she found Kasuga sniffing gym clothes. This entire manga has been a ride, starting from the anime and wanting to know more about the Flower of Evil story ... having to read the manga. (2nd manga finished) The transformation of Kasuga, the changes Nakamura made after now finding out about her stance in life in this chapter. The resolution finding Nakamura after a few years again ... I did expect a big crapstorm of things to come when he would meet up with Nakamura again but the manga did a great job keeping the readers at the edge of their seat. 9/10 |
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| That is actually a weird way to end the story... but I guess the author did made one on the previous chapter. So this is not something I expected really. But damn, overall, this is an awesome manga. All of the age of coming story from being a shitty MC to a happy dad is just awesome for me. 9/10 |
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| I'm so disappointed with the ending. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this manga a lot. 8/10 |
meronnpanSep 2, 2017 5:22 AM
Trojan_Invasion said: Unpopular opinion, but the ending (ch58) was amazing for me. I mean, I didn't like the rest of series much, but the final chapter really changed how I viewed Nakamura as a character, I also have a soft spot for coming-of-age stories and this chapter reminded me how it all started. But chapter 57 would've made a good ending too. I'm 100% with you. To me, the ending gives credence to the events of the entire story. Go back through the first 33 chapters after you've read the end and the story becomes so much more clear. Kasuga is abnormal, doesn't fit in, yes-- but this chapter shows how Nakamura is just at an entirely different level. It lends power to why Nakamura pushes him off the stage at the last second-- she realizes that he is nowhere near the level of destruction and effed-up-ness (the exact term for this) that he is. Her world and her vision isn't just poetically evil, its literally visually evil. Changed my rating from a 6 to a 8 at hitting this chapter. |
| You know, after having read this Manga, I'm relatively content with it's ending. Perhaps I would've liked to have known a bit more of the after-story for Nakamura but that's all. So many Manga, of this genre, try to end on dark and edgy points but I'm pleased that this had a relatively 'mundane' yet symbolic ending. It was based more in realism. Overall, I'm very happy to have read Aku no Hana. |
| "The speck of fear grows in your eyes You'll meet your death in no disguise It may come as a small surprise There will be no compromise for you" - Nikopol Lyrics, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann |
| This must be the weirdest manga I've read this far and I like it. I also like the post time skip part more for whatever reason lol 8/10 I must reread it just to be sure... |
| This is like two different manga in one: part 1 was hilarious yet fucked up; part 2 was one of the sweetest & satisfying romances I've encountered. 7/10 |
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| WOW. What an amazing end. Nakamura wasn't my favorite but this really puts into context a lot of her actions. |
| I put this on hold for a long time and finally after 4 months, I finally had the time to binge read mangas. Actually I've been hesitating to read this again but I'm glad I did what I did. Not the ending I had hoped but still, a great manga. |
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| Everything from chapter 33 didn't even really need to exist. It's a huge drop in quality and it doesn't even feel like the same series anymore. 1 or 2 chapters nostalgically explaining what would be of our two main chars after the fatidic events of the summer fest would have been enough. 25 chapters of Kasuga being a shit-eater? Just after he got so close to glory? Gimme a fucking break This series really left me with mixed feelings, I loved the anime, but I could only give it a 9 because they left it unfinished, really it deserves an 8 but I value enjoyment above anything else. When I finished it, I rushed to the manga for the conclusion, but it wasn't the same. This is because, for me, plot development and the question of "what happens next?" it's important, but not the most important thing for me in a show. As a book lover myself, I tend to say that some of the best books I've read are books in which absolutely nothing happens, like for example La Nausée by Sartre or Ulysses by Joyce, the enjoyment in those books, and also aku no hana anime to some extent, is not so much in what happens, but in the way it's told. BTW this also added a lot to the series from my point of view, you could tell the author really liked literature and that he had multiple sources of different types of influences mixing anime and classic literature. So I was really torn apart by the fact that, after 4 or 3 years of not watching any anime, this show that I enjoyed so much, was left split, because the events from until chapter 33 are too important to be left out. Which brings me to my manga score, a 7, much of the drop comes from, inevitably comparing it to the anime, and also making it twice as long as it should be, I'm not saying don't put some fanservice in it explaning the after events, I don't like that but I would be fine with that, but taking almost as long with that fanservice as the first arc did? Feels like a cashgrab. Like everything in the anime world, and the reason why they never finished the adaptation properly, cause it would give them no money, sadly art is a business nowadays. To me this feels like if Evangelion never got the film with the true ending, feels like a punch in the gut. They should've at least released a movie. Sorry for slight off topic bringing the anime in, I just wanted to vent out my thoughts on the entire thing. PD: I recommend to any of you the book, Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille, really short but brilliant book, story about two teenagers and their twisted sexual adventures. I'm 100% sure that the mangaka has read it and that it had some influence on him when coming up with aku no hana. |
ConfusionHazeJan 27, 2018 10:20 PM
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| This was one interesting ride. I absolutely loved the beginning of the manga until the conclusion of the Summer Festival incident. I kind of got a bit disappointed things got so calm from there on but it felt like a fitting aftermath to what happened to Kasuga. I expected more chaos and a sad ending, but now that I think about it reasonably, adding more chaos would probably make the manga unrealistic. This will be one hard to rate manga since the beginning was so relatable and brutal but then took a 360º turn during the second half. I did enjoy this final chapter, I always wondered how it all started and why Nakamura acted like that and now it all makes sense. I feel like I can see a bit of my past and gloomy self in Nakamura and that's why I found the second half of the manga a bit disappointing since she wasn't there for the most part. I will probably leave this entry unranked for now and will most definitely give it a re-read once my mind calms down. For the moment, I'd say it's good enough to consider re-reading it at least. |
Futari wa Milky Holmes was a mistake Yoshii did nothing wrong |
| Chapter 56 was the true ending for me and this chapter was just Nakamura's perspective during that time. That's how I'll see it. Overall this was something different for me to read, but I really enjoyed this series. I'd give it a 9/10. |
| good read, best oshim ive read so far |
laaresurreccionOct 10, 2020 3:27 PM
| I believe that users MegaUltraTom and PantsuPillow thoroughly encapsulated the essence and meaning behind this story, so much so that I don't think I can add anything to the truth. I would like to speculate and wish for a few things though: If we place Nakamura in state where she actually does have a mental disorder, it reminds me of someone who has a version of Agnosia; like something from the story Saya no Uta in that respect, though with an obviously different context. Is what she sees brought upon as part of an illness, or is it only her perception of the world around her? As her perspective, it would raise certain questions, like...Does she just automatically assume every single person she meets is a "shitbug"? She labels herself and Kasuga as perverts, and therefore can see him and herself as real people, but she couldn't possibly think that no one else falls into a similar category in that town she's in. This is simplified, but digging just a bit into her condition creates more questions than answers. In her case, with no other perspective worldbuilding shown, I think chapter 57 seems to do more harm than good in developing her. It comes off more like she's either just a supremely angsty teen rebelling against everything, or a literal crazy person who does crazy things to try and stave off succumbing to her illness. I would love to read a story based upon Tokiwa's novel! I have the suspicion that it would be even more interesting than the latter half of this story. Saeki does some pretty strange things, and since it appeared to not take much to trigger her issues, one would think it would have been noticeable far earlier than what it was. However, since the author himself stated that he has/had problems with girls like her, it was predictable that she'd do some off the wall stuff, lol. I think she displayed the most insanity of anyone in the story, and while she was definitely obsessed with...something, I couldn't call her a true yandere, since she quickly reformed and conformed after the festival incident, not wanting to actually retain Kasuga for herself at all costs. I don't have much to say about anyone else, though I found Kinoshita's eventual coming to terms with Kasuga's early actions rather contrary to how her character had always been portrayed; she supported her friend Saeki until the end, and Kasuga was the catalyst for their friendship being dissolved. On a scale of 1 to 10, with a 5 being average, I rate this story as a 7.5; the first 6 volumes were really intriguing, but the dynamic changed quite a bit halfway through the 7th, and though I did like Tokiwa, she wasn't nearly as entertaining as Nakamura as a heroine. |
Ae_Evolution said: Quite frustrated by the few last pages/panels... I get the idea behind and the whole thing and checked beforehand to be sure. Still, i have some questions... Since Sawa see everyone as a dark-flame-shadow thing, the only face she saw was Kasuga in the classroom, ok. How was she able to know that was Kasuga here...? I mean... for her in her PoV, it was just a random dark-flame-shadow coming back to the class... No indication or whatever for her, no? Same thing, Sawa seems to be eaten or consumed and turned into <something>, what is that something? Another dark-flame-shadow? Make no sense to me, and yet at that point, Kasuga on his bicycle is not a trigger here. Does she able to see anyone clearly now, or just Kasuga. I really loved the whole Sawa PoV thing, but the last pages put more questions than anything else. Whether Sawa sees people literally as shit monsters, or if it's just how she views them in general, we don't really know. I'm going to place this as a dual analysis because I don't really know if Sawa is actually crazy and hallucinates or not. The shit people even make 'squick' noises as they walk, so I think "dark flame shadows" is not quite accurate. It's more like the haze around them is a kind of toxic fumes or metaphorical corruption. It's alluded to that Sawa watched Kasuga's brief 'emergence' when she first noticed the "shitbug" that he is return to the classroom and sniff Saeki's gym bag. Towards the end of this chapter, which is actually the beginning of the story, Sawa is on the verge of succumbing to whatever either illness or frame of mind threatens to consume her. To her, it's like either going batshit insane or conforming to societal norms to the extent that she loses her sense of self in it. She is brought back from the brink of despair by Kasuga's arrival, because now she has something, someone perverted to focus her energy upon. |
| What a great ride. I was too emotional and a bit anxious while reading this, so it's most likely that I'd re-read it sooner or later. Love it |
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| well that was a good read, though im still pissed about what happened to saeki.. poor girl atleast tokiwa won the race 7/10 |
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